davidspolitano Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 So I bought a subaru GL 1986 automatic 1.8l no turbo and no awd So I'm thinking about since Im young and youthful and want to have some fun how hard do you guys think it would be to get this list here done. -Switch to manual 5speed- -Add a turbo- -Make the card AWD- Im also thinking of making the wheels 5bolt instead of 4bolt d: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 cheaper to buy a factory fitted car with AWD and turbo. if money is no issue, then go ahead on it but i warned you cheaper to just get one already that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferox Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 So I bought a subaru GL 1986 automatic 1.8l no turbo and no awd So I'm thinking about since Im young and youthful and want to have some fun how hard do you guys think it would be to get this list here done. -Switch to manual 5speed- -Add a turbo- -Make the card AWD- Im also thinking of making the wheels 5bolt instead of 4bolt d: It's doable, but you mention that you want to have some fun. This conversion would not be fun. You purchased a bit of a slug as far as performance is concerned. I would suggest driving it a while, see if you like how it handles and like it's character, and keep an eye out for an '86-'89 5MT 4WD version to buy. Buy it. Then put an EJ22 engine in it and you will have a very nice end product, better than the one you are suggesting building. The 5-lug conversion can be done a few ways, it's probably best if you do some research to decide how you would prefer to do that. If you want AWD instead of 4WD it is probably best to buy a Legacy or Impreza. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 You can't just add a turbo to a non-turbo engine. It's not that simple. You either have to rebuild the engine completely - changing the compression ratio along the way - in order for the turbo to not cause big internal problems, or you have to swap to a newer style of engine (2.2 or 2.5) that can handle low boost pressures and/or already has a turbo and was designed for it. Making it 4WD with a manual transmission is not technically hard - but you might as well get a donor car as you will need every single mechanical component except the engine. Transmission, clutch, rear diff and rear suspension, driveline, pedal assembly, and the exhaust from the mid-pipe back. It's expensive and time consuming and you would be much better off just buying one that already is 4WD. To run an AWD transmission you will have to first find one - that's not easy on the EA's ('87 to '89 RX, XT6, and some FT4WD wagons, etc) or you have to run an EJ transmission with an adaptor plate and that gets complicated with custom mounts, custom length drivelines, and custom shift linkage. People spend many thousands of $ on builds such as you are asking about - how much do you have to drop? I would say don't even consider this unless you are willing to spend at least $2k to $3k on parts and spend a lot of long hours doing the labor yourself - if you want it to be reliable anyway. If you just want to have some fun and blow your engine up in 500 miles - strap on a turbo, crank the boost to 10 and hold on.... till you let the smoke out. :-p. You wouldn't be the first and you certainly won't be the last if you go that route - also get yourself a nice collection of flat-bill's, some saggy pants, peircings, and a hefty chain for your wallet..... or perhaps you already have those items - at any rate they go hand-in-hand with low-reliability performance builds. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 (edited) I converted my fwd 5spd carb 3door to ej22, full time 4wd, and 5 lugs. I had a whole car to donate the drivetrain, and the ej22 came pre packaged with wire harness and bellhousing adapter. I built mine in 6 months, including bodywork, and restoring the individual parts. But i have been working on soobs for 15 years, and had over 40 of them. if you found a wrecked or non-runner 4wd, the parts will mostly be a direct swap I was younger trying to ;have fun' building subarus, but it was more like driving some junk and getting into trouble. But by now i have the perfect build, and i am satisfied with it my project cost: $350 for the 86 3door $300 for the donor xt6 part-trade with a buddy for the engine about a 100 bucks in stainless steel bolts, for purpose of restoration about 150 in paint and body products thousands of dollars worth of labor that were free to me doing the work myself. The formula for cost does not work the same for everyone. wether you have a place to do it or not, wether you have donor car(s) laying around or not, wether you can do the work yourself, or not. But really, if you have several subarus laying around on your property, the rest is playing with legos. but if you don't, then you are buying whole cars or individual parts for a build my 300 dollar car, now that it is built, is still a 300 dollar car by book value standards. The equity in my project is my own enjoyment. The car to a subaru enthisiast is worth about $2000. It can be worth up to $3500 if i installed performance struts, brakes, tires and wheels, and that price tag would reflect the parts on it versus the car itself. Edited November 4, 2011 by MilesFox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92_rugby_subie Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 An automatic 86 GL... carb? With the stock hitachi and 3AT that thing has got to be gutless as can be... Ive got a 5 speed d/r 4X4 and a Weber... I bet my car would feel like an STI to you... and mines got a stock motor for the time being. Plan to spend some money. Dont turbo it... Read on the EA82T... Its a terrible motor for someone our age... Unless you plan to rebuild it, upgrade the cooling system and baby it... youll piss off your girlfriend pretty quick... I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE on babying the car and pissing off the girlfriend. Ive thought of the EJ22T in my 86 GL a few times, but I might just go Frankenmotor/AWD/5Lug swap etc on mine. Go with a EJ22 or Frankenmotor as GD suggested... Speak to Renob123 AND GD... The Frankenmotor Brat was built by them... ~180hp and AWD with no turbo. Renob123 should be able to give you a rough estimate, but some labor/parts excluded since he used GDs shop and expertise throughout the build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidspolitano Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 I've been looking around for a donor car/what I want done to my car to either switch mine to it or it to mine, and yeah this car has very little power. and actually I do count hardwork as fun. so tough work/money is not an issue for me I love tough fun, and to me it doesn't matter what car it is. I would waste money on any car any day just to have fun tearing it apart and putting it back together so thank you for the all the opinions! Im really excited to do anything possible just to have fun with it d: if anyone knows of a good donor car or car in likeness with mine close to evansville indiana 47715 I would be glad to know about it! once again thank you guys for the feed back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Well, being from evansville indiana, you may as well settle on what you got, because you are not going to find any other ones very often or very close. I was from fort wayne area, and i hoarded whatever i could find, and would go to columbus ohio for parts because that was the only place i could find soobs in the junkyard. Your car being a FWD will be more limiting for swapping, since you would need a 4wd donor for rear suspension parts to convert to 4wd. But if you do find a donor 4wd, go for it. Or find a running drivable 4wd and start with it. These cars are enjoyable, even as lackluster as they can be. I would recommend turning that FWD 3at into a 5spd fwd. The fwd has taller gears , and will get 30 mpg. And a fwd handles surprisingly well in the snow compared to transverse engine fwd cars. I actually have a spare 5spd fwd trans with mount, cable, and flywheel. but you will have to chop in a part for the shifter. I would have to ship it from wisconsin. I got out of indiana for more than one reason, and one of those reasons being there were not enough subarus! Ironically, the 86 3door coupe restoration full time 4wd ej swap project car that built(which after 40 subarus, this is the one i will keep forever), came from my home town of fort wayne, and i towed it to milwaukee from there long after i had moved away. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BratWarrior Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 You wouldn't be the first and you certainly won't be the last if you go that route - also get yourself a nice collection of flat-bill's, some saggy pants, peircings, and a hefty chain for your wallet..... or perhaps you already have those items - at any rate they go hand-in-hand with low-reliability performance builds. GD HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! That's hilarious and true!!!!:D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegablade Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 I would waste money on any car any day just to have fun tearing it apart and putting it back together If you love wasting money i have a Taurus SHO ill sell ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
man on the moon Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 There are plenty (well, a small but regular supply anyway) of 4wds out here in Colorado land. If you find one you want I'd be happy to bring it your way (my folks are in Michigan, so you're more or less on my way). It would probably not be tomorrow, but I could do it in the next few months I think. I'd just ask for a ticket back to Colorado in return! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRhere Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 I have most of the parts needed for you to swap it to 5-speed FWD. Trans/shifter, flywheel/clutch assembly, pedalbox, starter. Should have clutch cable too. You'd have to source the proper center console for it though. And for the right amount of cash, I could be talked out of the Weber carb, mounted on an EA82 intake already to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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